Permanent or semi-permanent hair dyes may
increase the risk of cancer a study in New York reports.
As the body rapidly absorbs chemicals through the
skin, dyes left on the skin for more than 30 minutes may be responsible
for the increase risk of cancer.
Several studies in the late 1970’s found links
between the use of hair dyes and breast cancer. In 1976 it was reported
that 76 out of 100 breast cancer patients had been long-term dye users.
(1)
Another study in the US in 1979 reported a
significant relationship between the frequency of and duration of hair-dye
use and breast cancer. (2) Those at the greatest risk were 50 –79 year
olds. Women who started dying their hair at the age of 20, were twice as
more at risk as those who had started at 40.
The results of these studies suggest that using
permanent of semi-permanent hair dyes on a regular basis may pose a
greater risk of cancer due to the detrimental activity the dyes have when
left on the skin.
